2008 Woodie Awards
Alumni Hall of Fame Will Honor the Green and Gold
Valley's rich sports history told in a thousand ways.
Maggie Ownbey
Issue date: 3/1/06 Section: Sports
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Like a clear summer night sky, thousands of shining stars have illuminated Valley College's athletic department through the years.
Valley's new Athletic Hall of Fame will recognize and honor a roster of champions who first began to shine as part of the home team.
The hall of fame began as a dream of Valley's Athletic Director Chuck Ferrero, who saw a way to pay tribute to former players and inspire the athletes of today.
Ferrero took his idea to Patrons' Association Executive Director Raul Castillo, and with the athletic department and the Patron's Association on the same team the planning committee came together. The first annual inductee banquet ceremony is in the works for next spring and will include the unveiling of a newly commissioned mural in the fireside room, a collage of images that includes former athletes, coaches and newspaper headlines.
"It's a way to honor people [from] the past," said Dean of Administrative Services Brick Durley. "Valley has a great history of athletics going back 55 years."
Former Valley athletes include Olympic gold medalist Don McKenzie, former Los Angeles Raider Odis McKinney, former Los Angeles Dodger Bobo Castillo, Olympic volleyball player Gail Malone and former Washington Redskins Eric Yarber.
Yarber's story is unique; he played B football at Crenshaw High School and wasn't among the group of his friends recruited by Ferrero in the early 1980s, but he came along with them and went to school here at Valley.
Yarber didn't play his first year at Valley, but he approached Ferrero before spring the next year and asked whether he could try out for the team the following season. Ferrero gave him a shot, telling him to "show me what you got."
From day one it was history; Yarber became a Community College All-American here at Valley and later in his career was drafted into the NFL and played three seasons with the Washington Redskins as a wide receiver and kick returner. In 1988 Yarber and the Redskins won the Super Bowl.
Valley's new Athletic Hall of Fame will recognize and honor a roster of champions who first began to shine as part of the home team.
The hall of fame began as a dream of Valley's Athletic Director Chuck Ferrero, who saw a way to pay tribute to former players and inspire the athletes of today.
Ferrero took his idea to Patrons' Association Executive Director Raul Castillo, and with the athletic department and the Patron's Association on the same team the planning committee came together. The first annual inductee banquet ceremony is in the works for next spring and will include the unveiling of a newly commissioned mural in the fireside room, a collage of images that includes former athletes, coaches and newspaper headlines.
"It's a way to honor people [from] the past," said Dean of Administrative Services Brick Durley. "Valley has a great history of athletics going back 55 years."
Former Valley athletes include Olympic gold medalist Don McKenzie, former Los Angeles Raider Odis McKinney, former Los Angeles Dodger Bobo Castillo, Olympic volleyball player Gail Malone and former Washington Redskins Eric Yarber.
Yarber's story is unique; he played B football at Crenshaw High School and wasn't among the group of his friends recruited by Ferrero in the early 1980s, but he came along with them and went to school here at Valley.
Yarber didn't play his first year at Valley, but he approached Ferrero before spring the next year and asked whether he could try out for the team the following season. Ferrero gave him a shot, telling him to "show me what you got."
From day one it was history; Yarber became a Community College All-American here at Valley and later in his career was drafted into the NFL and played three seasons with the Washington Redskins as a wide receiver and kick returner. In 1988 Yarber and the Redskins won the Super Bowl.
